Agitator for feeders



" 13,192&

P. c. LYDON AGITATOR FOR FEEbERS Filed June 20, 192'! 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

4 n. A a 1 v m L Dec. 18, 1928.

P. C. LYDON AGITATOR FOR FEBDBRS Filed June 20, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H] Janka/b1 756721? If ydazv Q M eff/brat I 20 was,

; .UNITEDS ATES[PATENT-5, FICE.

Patented Dec. 18, 1928.

* 1.,eee97 PATRICK o. LYDON, or nnsivromns, Iowa; risers-non To nus MoInEs 'srnoja MANU- FACTURING coMrANY; or nns Mora ne; oWA; A oonrona'rron or IOWA.

- AGITATOR ron rnnnnns'. J

Application filed an; 20, 1927. seri l mmaesv.

- The object of my invention is to: provide an agitator of very simple, durable and inexpensive construction for agitatlng the feed in animal self-feeders.

"idelan agitator of this kind which can be conveniently, easily and quickly mounted in different feeders or feed compartments ethere- 9 Another purpose is to provide such an agitator so constructed and arranged as to afford quick and easy adjustment-of the agitator for diflerent feeders and conditions.

' Another purposeis to providesuch a device so, arranged as to afford constant agitation of the feed when animals are feeding therefrom It is my purpose to provide a number of be hereinafter more particularly referred to.-

important features of structure, which will With these and other objectsin .view my lnvention consists 1n the construct1on,,ar-

I rangement and combination of the various parts of my agitator, vwhereby the objectscontemplated are attained,- as hereinafter imore fully set'forth, pointedout in my claims, and illustrated in the "accompanying drawings, in which: I v 1 Figure 1 is al-perspective; view, parts being broken away and parts being shownrin sec tion,of a feeder equipped withqan agitator V structureembodying myinvention.

Figure 2is a plan view of a slightly dif ferent feeder and agitator with the lid thereof removed. I 1

@Figure 3 is "a transverse-sectional viewtaken on the line 3 -3of Figure 2.1.

theline 5+-5 of Figure 4.. u

Fignrefi is a detail, sectional View taken,

Figure 4 is a perspective viewillustrating,

the manner c haln.

of supportingthe:agitator on the Figure, 5 i5 5 ;detail ,se c tional View taken on the line'6 -6 of Figurel. i v,

to that shown in Figurefi with .thechain relaxed. i 1} Figure ,8 is aperspective View of, a..portion of one of. the uprights, parts beingshown in section andv parts being broken away and Figure 9 isa perspective View of. the lower part of the agitator structure, parts being The troughs I indicate; generally bythe I I Figure 7 is adetail s'ectional View similar tion. a I

I will first describea feederin my. I improved agitatormaybeuse'd and then'will More particularly, it is my purpose to pro-;

describe the construction of the agitatorand the. manner of installing it in the feeder.

My improved feeder comprises a hopper or'reservoir indicated generally by the reference numeral 10 having the side Walls 12 ter-L nnnatmg above thebottom hereinafter de withthe supporting members 20,22and 24."

Extending upwardly fromthe outer edge each bottom member 16 and18'is: a short} wall 26 forming the outermember, of f anumeral28.

- in The "troughs are providedwith divider bars; 30 extending across them to keep the hogs from interfering with each other; 1 The trough compartments between thesu'ccessive I bars 30 are preferably provided with hinged I cover members 32. i

, The hopper is provided with a removable cover 34; The hopper may bedivided by pa'rtitions 36 shown in Figure 2 into several com; partments to receive feed of different kinds This consists of a chain v38 having connected with its ends". the bolts l0 adapted tobe exa tended throughthe opposite vwalls 12 and 1 vertical, elongated hole 4:6 t0 "receive the ;1

chain- This hole is of such "size and shape that Whenthe chain is taut,-.as-shown in Fig-,

qures 3, 4 and 5f, the uprights ll will be held: 7 V on one link and can not-travel on the chain.

Thus the link which isin the hole 46 when 1 I will nowwdescribe no im roved a itator.

slipped through the hole 46. (See Figure 7) t is thus possible to adjust the uprights 44 to any distance spaced apart on the chain 38 and when the chain is then stretched tight, the

uprights cannot travel on the chain.

This provides a convenient way for spacing the uprights 44 on the chain 38.

fitvarious heights on each upright, I prefierably provide. cross bar agitator fingers or rods 48. These rods or fingers 48 are preferabl y mounted on the upright bars 44 in the followin manner: f

Two sl its 50 arecut lon -tudina-ll'y in spaced relation in the bar 44 and the material in the center is forced in one direction to form a curved receiving; member 52, and the material on the opposite sides thereof is forced in the opposite direction to formthe curved receivingmembers 54. (See Figure 8.)

The agitator rods or fingers 45 are then slipped between the members 54 and the member'52in each instance.

At the lower end of each upright 44 is an actuator projected into the troughs, and I also provide means for connecting together the.

two members 44 on one chain 38 and thetwo actuator members last mentioned. Referring now to Figure 9, it will be note that a rod 56 is extender] through the lower end of each upright 44. The portion of the rod 56 extended through the upright is thneadedtoreceiwe a lock" nut 58 adjacent to what may be called the. path ofthe upright 44. On the othenor front side ofthe upright 44 is a nut 58. Between the nut 58 and theupl'lglt 44 is a clip 60 in the form of a channel. he projecting actuator mentioned above comprises a triangular-shaped 'member 62,

' the arms of which adjacent to the upright 54 converge and i terminate in upward extensions 62", which are received anelclamxped between the clip 60 and the upright 44.

These actuators 62 pro ect under the walls 12" into the troughs, so that the feedinghog will move them with his snout for operating the agitator.

The-parts may be so located and arranged that each actuator 62- projects on both sides of.

one of the bars 30, so as to be in two adjacent trough compartments. (Figure 2.) The rods 56 project toward each other and I are twistedto form loosely engaging loops 64 and 66 and pro ecting'actuator end members 68 and 70' extending substantially lengthwise of the hopper. j

Ehe agitators are made in units, each comprising one chain 38, two uprights 44 and their connectedparts.

As many units may be employed as is desired.

I will now refer briefly to the manner of installation and operation of my improved agitator. i

The uprights 44 are installed on the chain 38 and adjusted While the chain, is loose to their pro )er spaced position.

The bolts 40 are then inserted in the sides 12 andthe nuts 4:2 are screwed on until the chain is substantially taut.

It will, of course, be understood that a chain of this kind will always swing somewhat, so as to allow swinging movement of the uprights 44 lengthwise of'the hopperyand that the members 44 can swing laterally on the links on which they are received.

The chain" 38 is adjusted to such height thatth'e triangular agitators 62 rest j ust-above the bottom members 16 and18 slightly spaced therefrom andprojecting into the troughs as shown in Figure 3.

The triangular-shaped member 62 in each case is below one of the bars 80, so that it may be agitated by a hog. eating oneither side. of the bar 30 above the triangular actuator.

It will thus be seen that all or any of four hogs may operate the agitator-at the same time. 1 w r In Figure 2, I have shown one. of the agitators as at A swung to onesideand one asat Bswung inwa-rd ly. It will be seen that if a hog engages any part of the triangular member 62, the'vibration or motion given to that member will be transmitted to theu pright 44011 which it is mounted and thus to the cross rods 48 and through the rods 56 tothe opposite upright 44 and the other agitator 62.

This is of some importance because it insuresenough movement of the agitator, which is somewhat hard'to secure,beeause an agitator of this kind does not swing. freely when much more effective than a bar to which the uprights 44 might be pivoted. I claim as my invention:

1. In a structure ofthe class described, a

hopper, troughs communicating with the lower part ofthe hopper err-opposite sides thereof, a chain, means" for snpportin-gswid chain in substantially horizontal position in .ments for the members 62. I find thecha'in 38 i" the hopper, a pair'ofupright members loosely A supported in 5 need relation on said chain, and opposite aterally projecting actuator elements at the lower ends of said members projecting into the respective troughs and having jointed connection with eachother. V

2. In a. structure of? thecl'assdescribed, a

hopper, troughs communicating withthe lower part of the hopper, a chain supported inthe hopper, means for holding the chain stretched in substantially horizontal position,

an upright member hung on said chain having ahole receiving the chain of a size which.

will not travel on the chain when'the chain is taut, but will permit travel of said member" on the chain when the chain is flexed. v 4,. In a structure-of the class described, a hopper, troughs communicating with the hopper at its lower part, on opposite sides thereof,

a. chain, means for holding the chain stretched in substantially horizontal posit-ion in the hopper, a plurality of upright members hung on said chain having holes receiving the chain of a size which will not travel on the chain when the chain is taut, but will permit travel of said members on the-chain when the chain is flexed, and means affording a loose jointed connection between the lower ends of said up-;

right members. I I v 5. In a device of the class described, a feeder comprising a reservoir portion, troughs at the lower end of the reservoir portion extending. in opposite directions therefrom, said troughs having cross members for dividing them into compartments, a stretched between the upper portions of the walls of said reservoir, upright agitator members hung on said chain, actuator elements projecting from the lower ends of said upright members, each actuator element proj ecting into two compartments of one of said chain troughs, and means aflording a loose'joint connection between said actuator elements at thG'lOWQI ends of said upright member;

6. In-a structure of the class described, a Y

hopper with a trough projecting from the lower end thereof and in communication therewith, a chain stretching across the upper part of said hopper, an upright loosely hung on said chain having an actuator elementon its "lower end projecting in'to'said trough, ,said last-named actuator elementbeing off triangular -f0rm,'sai d trough having a -di-- vider bar above saidtriangular actuator. element, whereby animals feeding on opposite sides of the bar may engage the agitator element. v 1 r 7. In'a device of the class described, a

hopper, troughs communicating with the lower part of the hopper on opposite sides thereof, a pair of loosely supported, spaced upright members in the hopper, a triangular agitator at the lower end Iofeach upright havlng arms converging and formed w th triangular agitator elements to the respective uprights, and means for affording a loose ointed connection between the lower endsof the uprights.

,8. Ina structureof the class described, -ao hopper, troughs communicating with the lower part of the hopper onoppositefsides thereof, a pair of spaced upright-members loosely pivoted in thehopper at their upper respective troughs, and means for affording a loose oint connectlon between sald actuator elements, provided withv a projecting aet'uat- 'ing part within the lower part of the hopper.

, Des Moines, Iowa, May 31, 1927.

adjacent upward extensions, means for clamping sa d extensions of the respective ends, actuator elements-at the lower ends of" said members projecting laterally into the so PATRICK o. LYDON. 

